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'I`Il\ll)Al.i A. MADISON, 0F TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA.

Letters Pate-nt lVo. 63,542, dated April 2, 1867.

IMPROVED PLASTERING TROWEL.

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TO ALL WHOM I'l MAY GONCERN: l

Be it known that I, TINDAL A. MADiSON, of Terre Haute, in Vigo county, in the Staterof Indiana, have invented a new and improved Mode of Putting on the Plastic Slate7 used in Potters Plasticlate Roofing or other mixture requiring to be spread of uniform thickness; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in the use of a trowel of peculiar constructionfor spreading mortar or other similar mixture, a uniform thickness, and which is specially adapted to putting onV the plastic slate used in Potters plastic slate roofing. The trowel is in. shape like that in commen use by thcplasterers, with a brace attached to the working face to give the blade the proper pitch or angle to the surface being covered, with two or more thumb-screw gauges,'so attached tovth'e face also, that the Working edge ofthe trowehblademay be raised or lowered to any thickness of the material when spread.

Trowels have been in use from time immemorial, but not to spread mortar or other material te any required uniform thickness, as is the case in my invention. .The importance of putting on the plastic slate roofing of uniform thickness is obvious when it is considered that ifv put on in places less than a certain thickness the roof is of no more value than if spread all over of less thickness; and if spread in places thicker than is required for the best roof, it not only requires longer toharden but is a Waste of material. The Work can also be done with much greater facility, as the trowel has to be passed but once over the same surface.

,To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation. l

Figure A is a perspective drawing of my trowel, representing the Working face.

Figure B is an end view drawn to the ordinary full size.

Corresponding letters, in both draivings, refer to the same parts.-

a, the end of the trowel-blade; 6, the brace which gives the proper pitch or angle to the blade When in use; c the gauges, in connection with the thumb-screw d, govern the thickness of the material being spread; e e e show the plastic slate as it lies on the felt ready-for spreading, and the thickness after the trowel' passes over it. Where the three-cornered strip of Wood (Q) is used in place of strips of oil cloth to secure the laps in the felt used in putting 0n plastic slate roofs, which is sometimes done, I use for tracing down the strips a separate trowel, like the one above described, with the addition of a V-shaped notch in the working edge of the blade, with two stops or gauges to keep the edge of the trowel, Within the notch, equidistant from the sides of the strip; both of which are shoivn by the dotted lines in Fig. A; and a groove in the lower odge of the brace b, (Fig. 13,) to suit the shape ofthe wooden strip for the purpose of guiding the trowel in a straight line.

In using my invention in putting on plastic slate roofing, it Vis only Anecessary to keep a sufficient quantity of the plastic, on the surface being covered, forward of the trowel for it towork upon, and the workman will find no difficulty in spreading it with great facility and perfect uniformity. I usually make my trcivels about the size of those used by plasterers, but do not confine myself to any particular size. Observing the general forms herein laid down, the trowel may be any length, even to reach the Width of a sheet of felting, with a long handle, to use With both hands, secured to the back of trowel by a socket or otherwise.

.What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1H The construction of a plasterers trowel with the brace b, to holdithc trowel to any given pitch or angle to the surface being covered.

2. -The, combination of the gauges c and thumb-screws d with the trowel-bla'de a, and the brace b fto adjust the trowel to the putting on of the covering material of any thickness required.

T. A. MADISON. Witnesses:

H. E. MADISON, J. C.l\ImN1NGEn. 

